Gov. Al Quie during a meeting of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Citizens’ Board in 1979.

Restore citizen voices to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency process

The demise of the Citizens' Board in 2015 was a blow to transparency and decisionmaking.

Counterpoint: Yes, pay teachers more, but get more for our money

March 27
“Of course, we have many fine and dedicated people in education,” writes Fred Zimmerman, an emeritus professor and currently a fixed-term faculty
Four things to consider.

Wisconsin court election matters — more than it should

March 27
Wisconsin Supreme Court candidates Dan Kelly and Janet Protasiewicz during a debate March 21 in Madison. Kelly is backed by Republicans, Protasiewicz
Judicial elections are a bad idea to begin with. The political nature of this one — with possibly national consequences — makes matters worse.

More Opinion

Opinion
March 27

Banning TikTok won't fix our online privacy problem

A U.S. ban on TikTok wouldn't meet the challenge of limiting harm to users of all platforms.
John M. Crisp
March 27
Advocates of student debt relief gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court building in February.

A rationale for student debt relief

A college education is a hybrid between a public good and a private good.
Stephen L. Carter
March 27
Vice President Kamala Harris stood up to applaud during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 7, 2

The vice president: Executive branch or legislative?

Kamala Harris's political defense could benefit from the logic of Mike Pence's subpoena defense.
the Editorial Board of the Duluth News Tribune
March 26

Is Minnesota mining-friendly? Duh!

We've been successfully mining here for more than a century and a half.
John C. “Chuck” Chalberg
March 26
Little boy going to school with backpack

They're just kids — so do whatever they say?

Are their brains undeveloped, or are they capable of making life-changing decisions?
Barbara Mahany
March 26
“Springtime, when one minute tenderlings are breaking through the Earth’s thawing crust and then — kebang! — the snows fall. It is the season

Spring: season of trust, with a chaser of awe

Just when we think we can't handle the cold for a second longer, the sun comes out and blooms burst forth.
Scott Gerlicher
March 25
Law enforcement officers amassed along Lake Street near Hiawatha Ave. as fires burned early Friday morning May 29, 2020, in Minneapolis.

What really happened in the riots of 2020

There is no amount of planning that could have prepared us for the chaos and destruction that followed George Floyd's death.
Lori Sturdevant
March 25
Entrance to the campus of the University of Minnesota

All U needs is love — at the Capitol

The University of Minnesota is crucial to our state's health, and it would be wise for the governor to show it.
John Rash
March 24
In this June 12, 1987 file photo U.S. President Reagan acknowledges the crowd after his speech in front of the Brandenburg Gate in West Berlin, where

Campaigns past and present reflect on Reagan's legacy

Allegations about the 1980 campaign surface as the GOP's top 2024 candidates veer from Reagan's resolute stand against totalitarianism.
Myron Frans
March 24
The University of Minnesota campus in April 2020.

Editorial Counterpoint: University deserves full support

We have a vision, but we need help to make it happen.
Jon A. Shields
March 24
Liberal professors can rescue the GOP

Liberal professors can rescue the GOP

They must do a better job of exposing students to a rich intellectual tradition of conservatism.
the Editorial Staff of the Boston Herald
March 24
A Tax Filing Simplification Act has been reintroduced in Congress.

Would you trust the IRS to do your taxes?

Sure, you'd like the filing season to be easier, but at what cost?
Jason M. Blazakis and Colin P. Clarke
March 24
Benicio Del Toro stars in “Sicario: Day of the Soldado.” In that movie, Mexican drug cartels were designated as terrorist groups, a movie supporte

Don't blur the lines by calling Mexican drug cartels 'terrorist organizations'

It would be a significant source of leverage, but one full of consequence.
Myron Orfield and Will Stancil
March 23
“Over 94% of teachers in the first five years of employment earn less than cost-of-living for their area. In fact, on average, teachers don’t meet

Pay teachers a living wage

It's a simple solution that is surprisingly affordable.
Anthony Holloway
March 23
“About four years ago, Minnesota launched a “tiered” teaching license system to help open pathways to the profession beyond the traditional path

Don't block the path of would-be teachers

Current proposal would remove alternative pathways for educators.
LZ Granderson
March 23
“Despite all of the advancements in science and medicine that have clearly extended human life, we still use an age cutoff from a bygone era. It doe

Who are you calling 'old'?

The times (and midlife) have changed.
Opinion
March 23

DeSantis' Ukraine comments highlight a 'civil war' inside the GOP

His dismissive description of Russia's invasion as "a territorial dispute" that doesn't merit U.S. attention spawned a gale of fervent pushback.
Thomas L. Friedman
March 23
The team from OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, from left: Sam Altman, CEO; Mira Murati, chief technical officer; Greg Brockman, president; and Ilya Sut

Thomas L. Friedman: I just saw AI magic, and it's the future, for better and worse

Everything, everywhere is going to change all at once. It's also a Promethean moment.
Julia Angwin
March 23
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew returns from a break as he testifies during a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on the platform’s consumer

If only Big Tech were getting the scrutiny TikTok is enduring

Most charges of its malfeasance could as easily be directed at the U.S. tech giants.
Opinion
March 22

Unleashing the U.S. military on Mexican drug cartels won't work

That's an open-ended invitation to endless military assaults in the whole hemisphere, including right here at home.
About Opinion
The Opinion section is produced by the Editorial Board. The board operates independently and is not involved in setting newsroom policies or in reporting or editing articles in other sections of the newspaper or startribune.com.

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Commentary from topic experts and advocates in Minnesota and Star Tribune readers.